Ways to make farming in arid areas sustainable

Create a poster for a rural area in Senegal that explains how to farm more sustainably. Your poster should explain these points using visuals to ensure a high rate of access in areas with low levels of literacy.

desertification

Desertification is the degradation of land and vegetation, soil erosion and the loss of top soil and fertile land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations 

case study: DESERTIFICATION IN niger

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exam practice

mark scheme

Candidates are expected to consider points on both sides of this question. The strongest responses may choose to challenge the statement, and may well conclude that while agriculture in such areas may result in desertification, such an impact is by no means inevitable but depends, in part, on the nature of the agriculture involved. Careful choice of crops, cultivation techniques and continuous monitoring may enable successful small-scale or commercial agriculture in hot arid areas. It is likely to be easier to avoid desertification in areas where irrigation is possible than in areas where, for financial, technological, or other reasons, irrigation is not possible.

Desertification is often the result of unsustainable farming, in which more minerals and nutrients are taken out of the soil than are replenished, or where the density of grazing animals exceeds the normal carrying capacity. Some experts also attribute desertification in some areas to on-going climatic change.

Answers that consider only one side of the question should not be credited above band D. It is expected that answers reaching bands E and F will offer supporting evidence and/or exemplification before arriving at a clear conclusion to the question.

Mineral Extraction in Periglacial Areas

Human and physical opportunities and challenges for mineral extraction in cold environments, including inaccessibility, permafrost and resource nationalism

Case study of one cold environment to illustrate the issues

Mineral Extraction in Periglacial Areas

Human and physical opportunities and challenges for mineral extraction in cold environments, including inaccessibility, permafrost and resource nationalism

Case study of one cold environment to illustrate the issues

case study: mineral extraction in Alaska

Explain how inaccessibility and permafrost created challenges for the extraction of oil in Alaska, USA.

CASE STUDY: RESOURCE NATIONALISM IN GREENLAND

Mineral Extraction in Hot, Arid Areas

Examine the opportunities and challenges posed for resource development (mineral extraction and any associated settlement and communications).

Mineral Extraction in Hot, Arid Areas

Examine the opportunities and challenges posed for resource development (mineral extraction and any associated settlement and communications).